Residents and youths in Boripe Local Government Area have issued a strong warning to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over a prolonged blackout affecting several communities.
The youths stormed the company’s office in protest and handed the electricity distributor a seven-day ultimatum to restore stable power supply to the area.
The protest was organised by members of the Nigerian Youth Congress, Boripe chapter, who said residents had endured weeks of erratic electricity supply.
According to them, the situation has disrupted daily life and crippled economic activities across the local government.
The group’s coordinator, Hammed Oyetunji, raised the concerns in a statement issued in Osogbo. He explained that the persistent power outage had created serious hardship for residents, traders and students.
According to him, “the absence of electricity has disrupted economic activities and daily life for residents.
“For weeks, our communities have been subjected to prolonged blackout, causing serious hardship to residents, business owners, students and artisans.”
Oyetunji noted that electricity remains vital to economic development and public safety. He said the blackout has slowed commercial activities in the area, especially for small-scale entrepreneurs who depend on steady power to run their businesses.
He explained that many business owners have been forced to rely on generators and other alternative energy sources. This, he said, has increased operational costs for traders and artisans already struggling with rising expenses.
“Small businesses are incurring additional costs through alternative power sources, while students preparing for examinations are struggling to study effectively at night,” he stated.
The youth leader also stressed that many households are under financial pressure due to the extended blackout. He urged the electricity distribution company to immediately address the issue and provide a clear explanation to residents.
Tensions escalated last week when residents and youths marched to the IBEDC regional office in Osogbo to register their grievances. Protesters were seen chanting solidarity songs while demanding better electricity supply to their communities.
Security personnel were deployed around the premises to prevent the protest from turning violent. Despite the heavy security presence, demonstrators maintained their position and insisted on immediate action from the company.
During the protest, the youths issued a seven-day ultimatum to IBEDC to restore their communities to Band A electricity classification. They warned that failure to meet the demand could trigger further lawful actions against the company.
Responding to the complaints, IBEDC blamed the situation on reduced power supply from the country’s national electricity system, the Transmission Company of Nigeria managed grid, commonly referred to as the National Grid of Nigeria.
In a statement, the company explained that limited gas supply to electricity generation plants had significantly reduced power generation nationwide.
“Gas supply shortages to electricity generation plants have significantly reduced generation capacity nationwide, forcing distribution companies to implement increased load shedding,” the company said.
IBEDC further stated that electricity demand within its franchise areas had increased, especially following the expansion of Band A feeders across several locations.
The company added that the volume of energy allocated to it from the national grid has remained unstable. This, it said, has created a gap between electricity demand and the power available for distribution.
IBEDC apologised to customers affected by the situation and assured residents that efforts were ongoing to stabilise supply.
“We understand the frustration this situation has created among our customers and sincerely apologise for the disruption to homes, businesses and economic activities,” the company said.
